It is Thanksgiving Day here in the United States, a time to reflect on
those things for which we are most grateful while we eat like pigs. This
year, as always, The Time Bum is most thankful for his family, his
friends, and the fact that the world is not overrun with bloodthirsty
flying sharks. These are indeed, immensely important (particularly the
bit about sharks because a ravenous flock of flying sharks would totally
swoop down from the skies and devour your family and friends) but the
affordable watch aficionado in me is thankful for other things as well.
So swallow that fork full of turkey, wipe the gravy off your chin, and
read on as I explain my gratitude in detail. You see, it all starts
with...
The Internet
It is hard to remember, but not long ago most information was printed in
physical volumes made from dead trees, sales were conducted primarily
through local stores, and communication among enthusiasts was slow. Now a
thriving global network of watch nerds buys sells, trades, and talks
watches in real time, 24 hours a day and watch makers can conduct global
market research, advertising, and sales, without touching conventional
media and retail outlets. Rapid, networked data exchange speeds the
development of new products, encourages the development of low volume
niche products, and lowers the overall cost of delivering them to
market, all of which is good new for us. It also facilitates
communication with manufacturing facilities in such places as
Switzerland and....
China
When you think of watches, you think of Switzerland, right? How could
you not? It's the home of Rolex, the Swatch Group, and dozens of other
horological luminaries. The Swiss export about 28 million watches a
year, but the real juggernauts are China and Hong Kong with
combined exports of over 1 billion units. Make no mistake, Asian
manufacturing is hugely important to the watch industry. Remember,
"Swiss Made" is legal term that establishes a minimum standard for
domestic content, in other words mostly Swiss. Some Swiss Made
watches are 100 per cent home grown, and others are, shall we say, not
so much and that "not so much part" is coming from Asia. Chinese
manufacturing has reached a point where it is high quality and still
comparatively inexpensive. Better still, this process is not just
reserved for the big boys. Contract
manufacturers in Hong Kong and mainland China will facilitate the
production of that dream watch in small batches and at low cost, either
using off the shelf parts from their existing catalog, or by machining
and casting custom made components, or a combination of the two. They
can even provide Chinese made movements, but the movements I am most
thankful for are those made by...
Seiko and Citizen
Where
would we be without them? They led Japan watch in an all out assault on
the Swiss watch industry and very nearly crushed it. Books have been
written about how and why, but in short, they built good stuff cheaper,
and took advantage of new technology. In a way, you can say they created
the quality affordable market. They continue to play a huge role in
this area, not only by generating inexpensive, high quality watches, but
also by selling movements to third parties at prices that continue to
undercut their Swiss competition. These Seiko and Miyota (Citizen)
movements find their way into a host of affordable watches, like most if
those you will find on....
Kickstarter
You gotta love crowd funding. Platforms like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo
allow entrepreneurs to introduce their products to the world and ask for
money to fund them, generally in the form of advance sales. If the
product has potential, the seller will know right away as backers vote
with their wallets. If not, then they will learn from the brutal truth
and revamp the concept for another go. Make no mistake, it takes money
to get to this point too, but it is a whole lot better than learning
that no one really wants your new Buzz-O-Matic 2000 watch - after you
spent your life savings to get a couple thousand made. All of this makes
life much easier for....
Micro Brands
Now this
is what I am most thankful for. We have witnessed a micro revolution in
the watch world these past couple years, and it has been nothing short
of remarkable. Creating your own watch brand still requires a tremendous
degree of time, energy, research, technical expertise, business acumen,
design talent, marketing skill, and bull-headed perseverance, but what
was once a nearly insurmountable task has been made attainable. An
aspiring micro brand can test their designs in the turbulent waters of
online watch forums, connecting with their potential customers right
from the get-go. Production is contracted to specialists with
manufacturing and assembly facilities in China and Hong Kong, using a
selection of Swiss or Asian movements. Internet marketing and direct
sales eliminate the need for real estate, middle men, and mark ups,
further speeding development and lowering costs. Crowd funding eases the
burden of raising capital. See how it all comes together?
All of these factors have combined to create a Golden Age for watch nerds, with micro brands leading the way. Granted,
there are a lot of new watches rehashing old designs, but there are
also an increasing number of micros out there taking chances, trying new
things, and creating niche products that just wouldn't make sense for
larger watch companies. Not every idea is good, but that is all part of
the process. I fear it can't last forever. One of the factors I
described may change and the business model will no longer be
profitable. I hope not, but while of lasts, I plan to enjoy it.
Yes,
my friends, I am going to go out on a limb and declare 2014 the Year of
the Micro. So raise your glass and join me in a toast to thank those
upstart watch brands and the enterprising men and women behind them.
Happy Thanksgiving!
mehr sehen
uhr rolex und
Replica Rolex Masterpiece
